Many residents are keeping an eye on East Contra Costa Fire District's financial struggles, but one of them recently took the scrutiny to a new level by chiding its chief for purchasing $23.96 worth of chocolate chip cookies.
"She just didn't think we should be buying treats for the firefighters," said Chief Hugh Henderson of the woman who took him to task after spotting four $5 boxes of cookies among the groceries he was loading into his truck from the Safeway store in Discovery Bay.
Henderson explained that the provisions -- which also included 30 turkey sandwiches, Gatorade and chips -- were for the firefighters who were at that moment battling a house fire.
In other words, a tad too busy to take a lunch break on their own dime.
Crews normally pay for their own meals, Henderson said, but district policy -- and a standard operating procedure among fire agencies in general -- allows the agency to pick up a tab if they're on-scene for four hours or longer.
As it happened, some of the firefighters were still mopping up seven hours after that morning's blaze began, Henderson said, but even those who left earlier still needed to be fed so they would be ready to jump on another call right away.